Mulder,Scully & the Greene eyed Monster
by RosarioN
Summary: Jealousy is a terrible thing
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Have no rights to anything belonging to the x-files**

**a/n: set mid to late season 7**

**Mulder, Scully and the case of the Greene–Eyed Monster**

I don't know why I did it really, I clearly wasn't thinking. Actually, that's a lie, I do know why I did it, it's just now I wish I hadn't, I blame the Washington Post and my friend Alison. And myself I suppose, partly. Perhaps I should back up here and explain how this all started.

It began in fact a couple of months ago with a cancer scare. Fortunately it turned out to be a false alarm but the shock was enough for me to stop and take a stock of my life. I came to the stark realisation that though I had achieved a great deal professionally, my personal and social life left a lot to be desired, to the extent that were you to take away my work, I would have nothing in my life. It was during this time that an old university friend of mine, Alison, phoned and invited me out to stay with her for a month or so, as a form of holiday. Her husband, a diplomat with the FCO was currently based in the British Embassy in Washington D.C, and I accepted the offer, glad to escape from London for a bit. At this stage I would like to point out that the fact that Fox Mulder would be in Washington did not even cross my mind. I knew he still worked for the FBI, GCHQ passed along stories about the X-Files to MI6 and Scotland yard (in addition to the usual terrorist information of course)as a method of light relief, but at the time the geographical coincidence didn't even occur to me.

I had been in Washington a full 3 weeks before I was reminded of him. I was lounging on Alison's sofa one morning reading the newspaper, when my eyes caught a bottom of the page article about the FBI, and how a recent film 'The Lazarus Bowl' had flopped, which was a great relief to them as it was not deemed to be an accurate representation of the workings of the Federal Government. "The principal characters " read the article "were an amalgamation based on real life Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully…".

It was then that the idea of getting reacquainted with Fox Mulder entered my head. Here I was in the self same city as the same man with whom I'd had my most serious long term relationship to date, and even that was nearing 20 years ago! Ok, so the last time we met investigating the case about the pyromaniac, things were a bit strained, but I'd like to blame that on the stressful circumstances. I have nothing but good memories about our time back in Oxford, Mulder running naked around Jesus' College Quad after loosing a bet, being chased by a porter telling him to 'keep off the grass', a steamy session in the toilets in the Bodlian library, him dragging himself out of the river after falling from a Punt, his shirt sticking to his body….but I digress. Anyway, I decided that perhaps I should pay him a visit, but thought I would run it by Alison first. "Fox Mulder? Ah yes, all the 'Hilda – beasts' used to worship him as some form of sex god". So there you have it, far from talking some sense into me, my conversation with Alison left me more convinced than ever that Mulder was what was missing in my life, the key to achieving some kind of completion etc….

That is why 3 days later I could be found in an elevator in the Hoover building heading toward the basement, a shiny vistors badge pinned to the lapel of my jacket. Although my exterior showed me to be cool calm and collected, I was actually a bundle of nerves when the elevator stopped 2 floors bellow ground level. I walked along the corridor, hoping that he would be in his office after all this, and fortunately I wasn't disappointed.

"Scully, did you get those autopsy reports?" he calls out as he hears the tap tap of heals along the tiled floor. He is lounged back in his chair, his feet resting on the desk, eyes perusing a sheet of paper so intensively that he doesn't even look up as I enter.

"I wouldn't know" I reply in my best seductive manor

He glances up, realises exactly who is standing in front of him, and hastens to sit up, in doing so almost falling off his chair, which in itself is quite amusing.

"P Pheobe?" he asks needlessly "what are you doing here?"

"Can't a girl come visit an old friend?" I purr, gliding toward the desk and sitting uninvited in the empty chair opposite his.

"Not when that girl is you" he replies neutrally.

"come now, Fox, here I am having come all this way to see you, you could at least be polite. My only agenda here is to catch up, perhaps have lunch…?"

His ears prick up at the sound of the 'ping' of the elevator "that will be Scully with the autopsy reports' he says, avoiding answering my question "Do you remember Scully?

Do I remember his partner? The short dumpy little redhead who had a propensity for wearing an array of overly large ill fitting suits in colours that did not match her skin tone? An image of a baby faced woman with freckles and a very unflattering hair cut enters my mind. "Yes" I reply " I remember Scully"

"Mulder" Scully's voice enters the room before she does "Skinner said…."

She grinds to a halt in the doorframe when she realises that they have company, an ill concealed look of shock on her face.

I turn my head to say hello, and find that I am in for a shock myself. The woman stood before me is wearing a black tailored suit, quite possibly last season DKNY, with a blue blouse. The skirt stops just above her knee, the jacket fits perfectly and the 3.5 inch healed black shoes not only serve to elongate her legs but also bring her almost level with me in the height stakes. The hair is still bobbed, but it is longer and straighter, and the bangs have gone, along with the 'puppy fat', as if she has finally grown into her features.

Interesting, I thought, very interesting.

"Agent Scully" I say, extending a hand " how nice to see you.."

XXX

TBC

Glossary

FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office –equivalent sort of to US state department (I think)

GCHQ Government Communication Head Quarters – place where intelligence reports are decoded/translated/pieced together.

'Hilda Beasts' – nick names for students at St Hilda's (All girls) College, Oxford


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Scully POV_

Do you ever have one of those days? The kind where you can just feel it in your bones from the nanosecond that your alarm goes off that no matter what you do, everything is going to go wrong, so you may as well stay in bed. Today is shaping up to be just like that, my bolier broke so I started my day with a cold shower, I had to get a neighbour to jump start my car, I was late to work, the lab lost my autopsy results, and now the icing on the cake, Phoebe Green is stood in our office.

Phoebe Green, in all her leggy doe-eyed big breasted glory. Just wonderful, I could invite Fowely and we can have a jamboree. I can tell immediately from the way she is dressed, and the way she has positioned herself at the very edge of the chair, skirt slightly hitched up, that this is a social call. In fact I would say 'Booty Call' is more appropriate.

Why? I mean why now? After all these years, she would have to turn up when Mulder and I are having a 'non-defined relationship', relationship. The first time we slept together wasn't long after he gained closure about his sister, the second time in Hollywood after the film premiere, and the third time in the aftermath of his trip to England and my epiphany about Daniel. The location and our state of minds may have been different but the common denominator remained the same, a night of quite frankly mind blowing sex followed by us getting up the next day and not mentioning it at all. Deep down I'm scared to talk about it, afraid that if I vocalise the issue then our bubble will burst and something will ruin it, petrified to discuss the depth of my feelings. I know Mulder is the same.

Speaking of the man in question, he is lounging back in his chair, his gaze darting between me and Phoebe. His face is a complete blank, totally unreadable. Is he enjoying this? I can't tell.

"Phoebe! Long time no see!" we shake hands awkwardly.

"I know, 6, 7 years! I was just telling Fox, we have an awful lot to catch up on" she turns back to him, and blinks her eyes as if she were trying to hypnotise him.

Is it wrong that I want to hit her? or at the very least step on her foot, with the heels I'm wearing I could break at least 2 toes…

"there's not really that much to tell" Mulder's voice is an octave or so higher than normal. It's his polite voice, the one he uses to Kersh when he is being an ass or accounts when they ask him to explain his expense forms. If Phoebe dated him for so long she really ought to recognise it, but if she does, she choses to ignore it.

"Oh come on Fox! I'm sure there is plenty of news. Why don't we talk over lunch?"

"umm" Mulder fumbles. Typical male. He can lie through his teeth to get us into all sorts of unauthorized governmental places, he 'omits truths' to convince me to join him on some of his more crazier jaunts, but no, stick a busty brunette in front of him and words escape him. All he has to say is 'Sorry Phoebe but Scully and I have plans"

Too late. Phoebe has taken the advantage of his silence. "Excellent, shall we go to Zizzi's? It's not too far from here"

"Sure" he splutters, and it makes me want to shoot him again "Italian food sounds good. I'll phone ahead and get us a table"

What the…? He can't be serious can he? He can't honestly want go to lunch with that woman?

Phoebe is smiling so widely that it looks like she has a coat hanger stuck in her mouth. Wish I really could shove a coat hanger in there. She throws me a kind of "sorry about ruining any plans you may have had, apart from the fact I am not sorry at all" glance.

"Hi " Mulder is on the phone " do you have a table for 3 available, non-smoking?"

Hold on a second? Did he just say what I thought he said? 3? As in him, her and _me?_ There is no way on earth he could possibly think that I would want to go to lunch with them!

For once I see Phoebe is having similar thoughts as she has a look of disgust on her face. To her credit, she hides it well, her mask only falls for a second.

"I'm sure Agent Scully doesn't to listen to us while we take a walk down memory lane.." She stutters, when Mulder finally hangs up.

Too right I don't. I'd rather go sit in the FBI cafeteria and pretend not to listen to all the secretaries wondering aloud why Mrs Spooky is not eating with Mr Spooky. But then left alone with her, who is to say that Mulder won't fall under her spell?

I glance at him, there is a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He's enjoying this! Well I'll be dammed.

"Oh come on now Phoebe, you did say _we_ had a lot to catch up on"

And there you have it. Mulder has backed her into a corner, and even Phoebe wouldn't go against those impeccable British manners and come outright and say that she didn't want me to come along. I don't know whether I want to congratulate him or kill him.

"Excellent" she says through gritted teeth.

XXX

The drive to the restaurant is uneventful. Phoebe gets in the front with Mulder before I can stop her, and I can't be sure but I swear she touched his thigh at least twice.

We have a table in the window, (oh no romantic lighting for Miss Phoebe) and she positions herself opposite him, all the better to try and gaze lovingly into his eyes no doubt.

Usually at Zizzi's I have the seafood salad, but today I 'm trying to limit my choice to something that can be served and eaten quickly, so we can leave. Phoebe typically has other ideas, and orders a starter.

"we all need to treat ourselves every once in while" is her excuse.

She drones on about her life in London, this and that. I make sure I smile and nod in the correct places, but I have zoned out into my own little world.

So happy am I lost in my thoughts, that I don't immediately realise my name is being called.

"_Dana!"_

"Huh?" I automatically turn towards Mulder, wondering why he is calling me by my first name, but I notice he is actually looking past me to someone else.

A hand appears on my left shoulder, and I turn my head upwards.

"Ethan?. Long time no see…"

XXX

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: sorry for the delay in updates, my job has me working very long hours at the moment leaving precious little time for anything else!

Chapter 3

_Mulder POV_

As a rule I do not believe in organised religion. However right now I can't help but think that whoever is up there, whether it be God, Budda, Allah or Yoda, someone is looking down and laughing at me. This is what I get for dragging Scully out for lunch with Phoebe Green, retribution in the shape of Ethan Robinson.

I fully admit that until this point I was enjoying all of this. I am a man after all, I wouldn't be human if somewhere in the deepest recesses of my being I didn't feel slightly flattered about the fact that two beautiful women were interested in me. Not that there was any competition, I would chose Scully over Phoebe every single time. That and Scully is so cute when she is pretending so hard to not appear jealous. Some people might think it is egotistical of me to assume that it is in fact jealousy Scully is exhibiting, not just suppressed homicidal feelings towards Phoebe based on the fact that Phoebe is an extremely irritating person, but I know Scully loves me, just as deeply as I love her. We simply haven't voiced that properly yet. It would make this situation so much easier if we had.

Anyway back to the present. Ethan is air kissing Scully while proclaiming it's great to see her. Scully with her impeccable manors is inquiring as to his health.

"Mulder!" she finally gestures to me, "you remember Ethan don't you?"

"No" I lie. Of course I remember Ethan, I have the gift/curse of a photographic memory and Mr TV Producer happened to give Scully a lift to the airport when we flew out to Oregon on our very first case. At the time I didn't give two hoots as I barely knew Scully and was more interested on seeing how easily the findings in Orgeon would freak her out. However I do remember what he looked like, and I can't help but derive a small sense of satisfaction from the fact that his hair line has receded slightly and he is certainly packing a few more pounds.

Scully, no doubt wondering why my brilliant memory has chosen to fail me at such a time, gives me a minor eyebrow, and carries on with the introductions. "Ethan this is Fox Mulder, he.."

"We met briefly at the airport years ago" Ethan interrupts, flashing a toothy grin.

"Oh yes" I feign recollection, conscious that Scully will probably skin me alive after this little act.

"And this is Phoebe Green, an acquaintance of ours" Scully continues through gritted teeth.

"delighted to meet you" Phoebe coos. And she really is delighted because she obviously believes she's in with shot now that Scully's attention has been diverted. "Why don't you join us?, all of us old friends catching up!" she suggests.

"I'd love to if you don't mind. My boss just phoned to say that he couldn't make it to our business meeting so I was afraid I would be eating alone. " his question is directed toward Scully.

Scully has a small smile on her face, the kind she wears during divisional meetings, where she appears to be repressing her true emotions whether boredom, anger, dread or in this case passion and desire maybe?

"Yes", she answers, "take a seat"

He settles into the opposite seat to Scully, knocking the table as he sits. My knife falls to the floor, leaning down to retrieve it I notice that Phoebe has toed off one of her shoes and her foot is busy snaking it's way toward my leg. Those things could be classed as dangerous weapons. Sitting back up I move my leg just in time and I hear the small thud as her stocking clad foot hits the wooden leg of my chair, just off target. She frowns slightly.

Phoebe starts up her monologue again, but I'm not paying any attention, I'm too busy listening to Scully and Ethan. They are exchanging the preliminaries, Ethan has been working in Boston for 4 years, and recently moved back to D.C. when he was offered a job promotion. He misses Boston, but at least by being in Washington he is unlikely to run into his ex-wife. Scully is making those sympathetic noises that women do so well.

"So" Ethan pauses, "how about you? I guess you're still working on the X-Files!"

Hmmpf! One of things that Scully absolutely hates is arrogance. She often accuses me of it on the very _seldom_ occasions when I insist that my theory on a given case is the correct one. And here Ethan is, arrogantly assuming that the only reason Scully and I are here together is because we still work together. We could be on a date.Or engaged. Or Married.Or…judging by the way we are dressed, on the way back from a funeral. Or government employees. ..okay I'll let that one pass.

"Yes" Scully confirms "still on the X-Files"

He looks a little disappointed at that. I suppose he's just like the rest of them, thinking that she has thrown her life away to go chasing aliens with me.

"Married?" He probes.

"No, not _married_" she says not elaborating further. Ethan decides this is a good enough answer for him. In the meanwhile Phoebe has realised that my attention is elsewhere and kicks me. She has replaced her shoes I see.

"Anyway Fox I was thinking" Phoebe is all sweetness and light now she has inflicted pain on my shins. I notice that she has undone a few more buttons on her blouse whilist I wasn't looking. "as I'm in town for a while, wouldn't if be fun to go out every now and then?"

"mmmm" I make a non committal noise as I see Scully rummaging in her bag for her filo-fax and a pen. He's giving her his number and _she is actually writing it down_! I can't believe this, I slam my hand down on the table a little too firmly causing the cutlery to rattle. 3 pairs of eyes swivel toward me. "Sorry" I say "there was a fly". This warrants me another Scully eyebrow.

The lady in question finishes carefully jotting down Ethan's new contact details and closes her organiser. As she does the photo that she keeps tucked in the back comes fluttering out.

"Who is this little cutey?" Ethan asks as he picks the picture up.

Scully stiffens immediately. I know she's thinking about Emily and IVF – the last failed attempt a mere 4 months ago.

"That was my daughter Emily." Her tone of voice does not invite further questioning on the matter. I reach across and give her hand a squeeze under the table. She give's me a 'thank you' squeeze back. I wonder if Ethan has picked up on the use of the past tense? He must have, judging by the fact that when he asked her about her life, she didn't immediately start gushing about her offspring like most parents do.

"right" he hands the photo back. Phoebe is giving me a questioning look but I chose to ignore it.

We make it through the main course without incident. I am feeling mentally exhausted from dodging all of Phoebe's flirtatious comments and suggestions while simultaneously keeping one ear on what is being said next to me. Scully and Ethan have kept up a steady flow of banal conversation on more neutral topics.

The coffees have arrived and Phoebe is showing no signs of dialing down her seduction technique. I really want to stand up and shout "I am not interested get it!" but if I ever want to see Scully naked again this is not the way to do it. Despite the fact she hates Phoebe she adheres to some kind of bizarre female chivalric code with limits on the ways and means that you can embarrasses I fellow woman in public. But right now I don't really know what to do. I am desperately trying to think of a way to politely tell her to get lost, when my ears prick up at the change in tone of Ethan's voice.

" Dana" he is fiddling with the teaspoon in his coffee. "you know I 've enjoyed catching up today and seeing that I 'm back in D.C, how would you feel about going out some time? Just the theatre or a meal , for old times sake? What do you say?"

I can see a small blush creep up Scully's cheeks. She swallows heavily. She glances quickly at me, her expression is unreadable.

Yes Scully. What _do_ you say? The fact that she hasn' t said no immediately scares me, and suddenly I am petrified that she might actually say yes. A strange silence has fallen over us all.

"Well…." She begins.

XXX

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Ethan's POV_

"well"…

I have to admit the long pause isn't doing much for my ego.

It was a pleasant surprise to bump into Dana today. Not completely outside of the realms of possibility given that we do both work in D.C, but not expected either. Going against the cliché of made for tv romance films, I have not spent the past couple of years pining for Dana. Yes, I was upset when we broke up, and yes it did take me a while to get over her, but I did and I moved on. A met my ex-wife a short while later, we relocated and I was blissfully happy until I found her in bed with another man. The only time I ever really thought about Dana was once during a drunken game of truth or dare when I was asked if I had ever done the 'wild thing' with a red-head. Anyway, I moved back to D.C, got on with my life and then came to this restaurant today for a lunch meeting with my boss that never happened.

I meant what I said, I enjoyed catching up with Dana. The reason why we split up was more to do with work than with our personalities. As a young tv producer i was often working long shifts at very unsociable times, coming home at all hours, but the good thing was, is that I always had Dana at home to come back to. Dana was teaching at Quantico at the time, so was home every night by 6. Then when she started on the x-files and was assigned field work , she was never around at the same time as me, more often or not I came home to an empty apartment. We barely saw each other, and in the end we realised that neither of us were at the stage where we wanted to sacrifice our careers for the needs of the other, so we broke up.

My invitation today didn't come out of a burning desire to get her back in the sack asap, rather from having spent a pleasant 2 hours talking and reawakening an old friendship. If that were to lead to anything further down the line, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to the idea, she is an attractive and extremely intelligent woman after all.

She's looking at her partner outside the corner of her eye. Good God don't tell me she needs to get his permission to go out with some one so that it doesn't interfere with an assignments! Mind you he always did seem a bit controlling and all encompassing as far as work is concerned.

"..i don't know Ethan, what with the hours we work, …"

"That's okay" I say a little too brightly, and I hope not desperately sounding, "I do mostly day time work now, so I'm free most evenings….."

"I see…" she says, and I can't help but feel that there is a 'but' coming.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Phoebe POV_

I am loathe to say it, but my seduction of Fox is not going according to plan. Firstly there was a slight bump in the road when he invited his partner out to lunch with us. That didn't deter me, I always was one to rise to a challenge. When that Ethan chap turned up I couldn't believe my luck – it was just what I needed to distract Agent Scully, and reading men as I can, I could tell that he was certainly interested in her. Unfortunately it was Ethan's arrival that threw my plan off the rails. Ever since he showed up at our table Fox has been distracted. None of my amusing stories, flirtatious glances, seductive technique at eating prawns or my failed attempts at playing footsy have worked.

In the end I had to take one for the feminist team and ask him out myself. Which he declined in a round about way. I am trying to look indignant and hurt, but alas it has gone unheeded as Fox is too engrossed in Ethan's attempt to ask out Agent Scully. I almost wish the pair of them would leave so that I can get Fox's attention.

I can't for the life of me think why Agent Scully is hesitating – Ethan is a good looking man, and she is fairly pretty I suppose, now that she seems to have tamed her hair and learned how to coordinate her colours- they would make a good couple.

"I see.." she is saying "but the thing is, I am sort of involved with someone, so I don't think it would be a good idea…"

The poor chap looks slightly crestfallen but he recovers well. "It's just when you said you weren't married you didn't mention anyone else, I thought…I'm sorry I shouldn't have been so presumptuous…"

"No, Ethan" she pats his arm "It's okay, it's complicated…."

He attempts a small smile, "do you think it would be okay to meet up for a coffee then? In public, in the middle of the day? Surrounded by people? Just so we can finish catching up? You could bring him along too, I'd like to meet him"

To give credit to the man, he is persistent. I would have said it was obvious that Agent Scully isn't interested, he must be slightly dim to not pick up on the signs. When a woman says no, she says no. I would never throw myself at a man that wasn't interested. That and in my opinion men and women can never be "just friends".

"Well, um.." She blushes, which given the colour of her hair, is not a good look on her. .

"You already have" Fox's voice cuts across the table, causing all eyes to look at him.

"What?" Ethan looks confused and slightly irritated. "with all due respect buddy, this conversation is between Dana and I .I know you are technically her superior, but I thought what Agents did on their own time is their own business."

"It is" Mulder replies calmly, " I was merely saying that you have already met the person with whom Scully is '_involved'_."

"When?" Ethan asks cautiously.

"7 years ago, Dulles airport, you dropped Scully off before we caught our flight to Bellefleur ,Oregon"

A look of comprehension dawns on Ethan's face and I am glad he understands what is going on because I don't.

"It's me" .

xxxxxxx

_Scully POV_

Right now I don't know whether to kill Mulder or kiss him. My homicidal leanings come from the fact that Mulder has openly told Ethan and Phoebe that we are more or less in a relationship after having pussyfooted around the matter and never having actually talked about it with me first. But I also want to kiss him as he has pretty much declared that he does want to be in said relationship with me, and the look on Phoebe's face is priceless. If her mouth opens any lower she'll be letting the flies in.

"Oh so you two are…" Ethan trails off.

It actually did me a favour to run into Ethan today, it made me realise that my feeling for Mulder surpass those I had for Ethan, who had been my most serious relationship to date, we did live together after all.

"Yeah" Mulder squeezes my hand under the table and snakes his arm around my shoulders. Happy as I am over Mulders declaration of sorts, I am not too pleased about this caveman display of 'my woman, so back off' body language.

"Are you serious?" Phoebe declares, having finally found her voice. "Fox, she's hardly your type!"

That's it! I have just about had enough of her, only the fact that Mulder is holding my hand prevents me from reaching for my gun. "Deadly serious" I tell her, emphasising the word deadly, because that's what she will be if she carries on.

"And what exactly is my type Phoebe?" there is a tone in Mulders voice that challenges her to be egotistical and describe herself.

"Taller" she mumbles, throwing her serviette onto her plate. Should I take that as a symbolic gesture of a white flag?

"why did you agree to come out to lunch with me if you knew you were dating _her_ all along?" she whines

"But Phoebe, " Mulder says as innocently as he can "didn't you say it was a lunch for friends? Well that's what we are, friends isn't it…?"

Mulder playing the dumb routine is always a good one. Phoebe is squirming in her chair having been backed into a proverbial corner.

"Yes..well…I…" and then she gives up. Phoebe Green, wordless. Oh happy day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Mulder POV_

My arm is around Scully's shoulder in public! My arm is around Scully's shoulder in public _and_ she has not tried to move it or threatened to shoot me. This must be love.

Admittedly she is going to chew my ass later for blurting out that we are in a relationship without having spoken to her first, women are fussy about these kinds of things. Who cares when my arm is around Scully's shoulder in public and I am holding her hand! Let's hope the hand stays in her lap though as we could have a 'situation'.

Ethan seems to be taking this revelation like a man, Phoebe on the other hand is sulking like a toddler. I think it is more to do with the fact that it's Scully I am seeing, as those two never really did hit it off.

That and she always did have issues with accepting that there are attractive women out there aside from herself. I do feel sorry for her slightly, it was this self-love that blinded her to the fact that I was not interested and haven't been since oh I don't know… 1983?

"I see why it's complicated" Ethan says eventually " I suppose the FBI doesn't like partners to get romantically involved"

"..Yes" Scully says. That and the small issue of cancer, abductions, stolen ova, governmental conspiracies, bounty hunters, dead family members, 7 years of pent up sexual tension and our complete inability thus far to voice our true feelings for each other. Complicated indeed.

"well, seeing as we are finished here, I think I had best be leaving" Ethan stands and throws some money on the table to cover his meal. "I..um..congratulations I guess.."

"Thank you." Scully replies "It was nice seeing you again" she smiles, and whereas before I would have felt like punching the nearest wall, I now feel vaguely safe in the knowledge that Scully won't be jumping Ethan's bones anytime soon.

"I should go too" Phoebe gets to her feet. "I hope you two will be very happy" the sentiment isn't quite reflected in the tone of her voice, but she is trying at least. "It was, um, good to talk to you Fox.."

"where are you headed?" Ethan asks "we could share a cab?"

"Okay" a smile tugs at the corners of Phoebe's mouth, she always did recover quickly. "lead the way" she links arms and they stroll out of the restaurant.

I turn back to Scully "See, perhaps they will both fall in love and…" I trail off when I realise that Scully is giving me The Eyebrow.

"So we're dating now are we?" she asks.

"well, you see, I thought…..and…..then..Ethan..he…" Why is it only with Scully that I turn into a jibbering idiot?

"right" Scully says softly, as I study my fingernails.

"Look.." I lift my head up to apologise but am cut off by Scully leaning over and kissing me square on the lips. "wuh.." I say when it ends.

Scully stands, dragging me up with her "come on Mulder"

"Come, uh, go where? "I splutter.

"Home, to '_discuss'_ things further" she says in a 'come-hither' drawl, before dragging me toward the door.

I trail behind, throwing the bill at the waiter on the way out, and all of a sudden I am pleased that Phoebe Greene showed up at work today….

THE END


End file.
